


I promised to protect my world

by Vita_Umbrarum



Series: The marks upon our skin [4]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, Hercules parent's are there, M/M, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25572616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vita_Umbrarum/pseuds/Vita_Umbrarum
Summary: Hercules Mulligan was told how cruel the world could be. He promised himself at eight that those on his skin would never be harmed.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan
Series: The marks upon our skin [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852993
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	I promised to protect my world

**Author's Note:**

> i promise the next one will be happier (and probably also the last).  
> I still don't know what I'm doing.  
> Enjoy??

When Hercules gains his marks his mother cries. When they learn the names behind them his father curses. Herc doesn’t understand and his father speaks with a shaky voice of the uncle he’ll never get to meet. Herc swears to protect his marks and his father gives him a shaky smile. He goes to his first Judo lesson that week. As he grows older his father tells him how to properly punch someone without hurting himself. His mother tells him there is no cowardice in running away, but he refuses to do so. No matter what the world throws at him he’ll always get back up.

He grows, stronger, taller, broader. He will never be afraid. He protects those who need it, strangers, friends, his little brother, anyone. His little brother calls him a hero, he denies it and says he’s simply doing what is right. His family is poor but he manages to get a scholarship and goes to Columbia University. Two weeks in he calls his parents and they tell him he has to bring Laff and Alex over one day. He does and his little brother adores both Laff and Alex.

He lives more at Alex and Laff’s dorm than his own but his roommate doesn’t mind. Alex helps them study for tests and proofreads their essays and in turn he and Laff drag the shorter boy to bed when it’s too late to stay up. He sews up Alex’s clothes when he tears them which Alex and Laff find hilarious. The year passes too fast and he’s invited to go to the Washingtons over the summer. After a phone call to his parents he accepts.

Second year starts with a freckled boy showing up at their new dorm room with the smallest hint of a smile Herc has ever seen on his face. Second year starts with Alex yelling and a smile slipping of a bruised face. It starts with a well-concealed flinch that only Herc seems to notice and eyes void of any emotions.

Laurens is an easy roommate. He doesn’t complain about how loud they are, doesn’t demand they clean up the kitchen, doesn’t glare when Alex wanders around at three in the morning when he has ideas to write down. Whenever Alex has a nightmare and wakes everyone up they find a box of strawberries on the counter the next day. There’s no way Laurens can know those are Alex’s favorite but Herc has no other explanation since neither Laff, Alex or he buys them.

He watches as Laurens leaves every two weeks to go home for a weekend. He sees how the boy’s eyes are more guarded after those visits. Sometimes he swears he can see bruises when Laurens' too long hoodie sleeves slide up and leave his arms unguarded. He sees the flinches whenever Alex rants about professors or tests or Jefferson being a dick or whatever seems interesting that week. He shrugs it off, surely Laurens doesn’t need protection?

One day Laff wanders around in the kitchen with only a crop top and shorts showing off the marks on his body. Laurens stares at it until Alex snaps, _‘’What, you jealous or something?’’_ Laurens only scoffs and leaves the dorm.

Sometimes Herc sees Laurens in the library, alone and surrounded by books the way Alex would be if he and Laff weren’t there to accompany him. He wonders if he should join him since he seems lonely and in need of a friend but by the time he has made up his mind Laurens has vanished.

At some point he hears an angry conversation between Jefferson, Madison and Laurens, the latter apparently cornered by the former two. It’s how he learns Laurens has no marks. When he tells Alex and Laff they both doubt the statement is true. Alex even loudly states that it’s impossible and it would have made the news otherwise. He counters that a republican like Henry Laurens would probably have covered it up. Alex shrugs at this and says that perhaps Laurens’ soulmate is dead and the mark has faded. Laff quietly tells them that marks don’t fade if someone dies. The three of them quietly wonder if their fourth soulmate is still alive.

Later, so much later Herc realises that everything about John Laurens should have set of alarms in his head. Or perhaps there were alarms, and he simply ignored them.


End file.
